The present invention relates generally to a vehicle sun visor and, more particularly, to a sun visor having a corrugated core.
It is well known to provide a sun visor for a windshield of a vehicle, wherein the sun visor is mounted to a roof panel of the vehicle for movement between a stored position adjacent a headliner, a first use position adjacent a windshield, and a second use position adjacent a side door window opening. One prior art sun visor comprises a solid core of pressed wood material with an outer upholstery covering of a foam-backed cloth adhered to or otherwise connected to a thin self-supporting kraft paper foundation. The covering is folded over the core and is edge sewn along a seam circumjacent the periphery of the core.
More recently, a sun visor having a molded plastic inner core with an outer foundation folded over the plastic core has been developed. The foundation is folded over the plastic core in the manner previously described.
Further, in another known sun visor, a molded polymer shell is provided. The molded polymer shell includes an upholstery cover fused to the exterior of the shell.
The primary disadvantages of the cores and shell configurations of the above described known sun visors is cost and weight. For example, the polymer cores and polymer shells generally require the use of relatively expensive materials. In addition, such known cores and shells also involve manufacturing techniques, such as injection molding, which can render the sun visors costly and/or inefficient to manufacture. In another example, pressed wood cores are generally heavier than relatively lightweight materials, such as kraft paper. Accordingly, there exists a need for a lightweight and cost effective core for a sun visor.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a sun visor is provided that includes a core having a periphery that defines an edge of the sun visor. The core includes a plurality of layers with at least one layer being corrugated to increase the strength and rigidity of the core. An upholstery cover is disposed over the core and forms an exterior surface of the sun visor. The upholstery cover may be fixedly attached to the core or, alternatively, the upholstery cover may envelope the core.
In another embodiment, a sun visor is provided that includes a core comprising a rigid panel and a foundation disposed over the panel. The foundation includes a plurality of layers with at least one layer being corrugated to increase the thickness of the core without substantially adding weight to the sun visor. An upholstery cover is disposed over the foundation and forms an exterior surface of the sun visor.
Among other advantages, the sun visor of the present invention is both easier and less expensive to manufacture than the prior art, yet provides a core exhibiting a strength and rigidity comparable to sun visors having molded polymeric cores or shells. Another advantage is that the sun visor core may be manufactured using a relatively inexpensive material, such as cardboard. Various additional aspects and advantages of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment, when read in light of the accompanying drawings.